Fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with

intra-radicular post: The effects of post system and dentine thickness

Ramiro Rocha Barcellos
a
, Dbora Pereira Diniz Correia
a
, Ana Paula Farina
a
,
Marcelo Ferraz Mesquita
b
, Caio Cezar Randi Ferraz
c
, Doglas Cecchin
a,n
a
Department of Restorative Dentistry, Passo Fundo Dental School, University of Passo Fundo, UPF, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
b
Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Piracicaba, So Paulo, Brazil
c
Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, Piracicaba, So Paulo, Brazil
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Accepted 25 August 2013
Keywords:
Cast post and core
Endodontically treated teeth
Fracture resistance
Glass ber post
Root fracture
a b s t r a c t
To investigate the inuence of post system and amount of remaining root tissue on the fracture
resistance of endodontically treated teeth. Seventy upper canine teeth were divided into seven groups
(n10), one control (sound teeth) and six experimental groups resulting from the interaction between
the two study factors: post system (FB, ber post; FPC, ber post relined with resin composite; CPC, cast
NiCr alloy post and core) and amount of remaining root tooth tissue (2 or 1 mm of thick root). All teeth
were restored with metal crowns and exposed to 250,000 cycles in a controlled chewing simulator. The
samples were submitted to the fracture resistance test in a universal testing machine, at an angle of 1351
and speed of 0.5 mm/min, until fracture occurred. Failure modes were observed, and the data of fracture
resistance, in Newtons, were submitted to the analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukeys test
(0.05). Roots restored with FPC had the highest fracture strength of the experimental groups, being
statistically similar to the intact teeth group (P40.05). FP and CPC did not differ statistically (P40.05)
and were statistically lower than those of FPC (Po0.05). No statistically signicant difference was
observed between amounts of remaining root tooth tissue to the same post systems (P40.05). A
prevalence of irreparable failures was observed in specimens restored with CPC, whereas FP and FPC
posts showed more repairable failures. The post system had an inuence signicant on fracture
resistance. However, the remaining dentine with 2- or 1-mm thickness was not an important factor
for the fracture resistance.
Crown Copyright & 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Endodontically treated teeth are structurally different from
nonrestored vital teeth and require specialized restorative treat-
ment (Al-Omiri et al., 2010). The loss of dentin, including anatomic
structures such as cusps and the arched roof of the pulp chamber,
can result in tooth tissue fracture after the nal restoration (Belli
et al., 2005). In such cases, the use of intraradicular posts is
recommended to promote the retention of the nal restoration
(Soares et al., 2008). A primary function of a post is to improve the
retention of the nal restoration and to distribute occlusal stresses
along the remaining tooth structure. It has been demonstrated
that posts do not strengthen the tooth (Trope et al., 1985; Zicari
et al., 2013).
The fracture susceptibility of teeth restored with posts may be
related to factors such as the amount of remaining tooth structure,
which provides resistance to the fracture of the tooth (Ng et al.,
2006), and the characteristics of the post, such as the material
composition, modulus of elasticity, diameter, and length (Fokkinga
et al., 2006; Bacchi et al., 2013; Zhou and Wang, 2013). A root
fracture is the most serious type of failure in postrestored teeth
(Ferrari et al., 2000). To avoid root fractures, a post having a
modulus of elasticity similar to that of dentin helps in distributing
the stress of occlusal load in a uniform pattern (Fokkinga et al.,
2004; Maceri et al., 2007; Dietschi et al., 2008).
For a long time, cast metal post and core systems have been
used as intraradicular retention (Dietschi et al., 2008), but they
have disadvantages such as a high modulus of elasticity, increasing
the possibility of irrecoverable fractures of the remaining tooth
structure (Fokkinga et al., 2004; Nakamura et al., 2006; Zhou and
Wang, 2013). Prefabricated berglass posts have led to great
advancement, especially as regards mechanical properties, such
as high exural strength and modulus of elasticity similar to that
of dentine, minimizing the transmission of stresses on the root
walls and decreasing the possibility of fractures (Fokkinga et al.,
2004; Lassila et al., 2004; Asmussen et al., 2005; Nakamura et al.,
2006; D'Arcangelo et al., 2008). Furthermore, berglass posts
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Journal of Biomechanics
0021-9290/$ - see front matter Crown Copyright & 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.08.016
n
Correspondence to: Universidade de Passo Fundo, Campus I, Faculdade de
Odontologia, BR 285, Km 171, Bairro So Jos, Caixa Postal 611, 99052-900 Passo Fundo,
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Tel.: 55 54 3316 8402; fax: 55 54 3316 8403.
E-mail address: dgscecchin@yahoo.com.br (D. Cecchin).
Journal of Biomechanics 46 (2013) 25722577
are translucent, contributing to the esthetic qualities of tooth-
colored restorations (Qualtrough and Mannocci, 2003), and their
chemical composition is compatible with that of Bis-GMA mono-
mer, present in the adhesive systems and resinous cements
(Schwartz and Robbins, 2004; Farina et al., 2011). However,
because most clinical failures in teeth restored with ber posts
occur because of postdebonding (Ferrari et al., 2000) in large root
canals with thin tapered walls (Iglesia-Puig and Arellano-Cabor-
nero, 2004), the use of the ber post relined with resin composite
has been proposed, creating individualized intraradicular posts
with a better adaptation to root canals (Grandini et al., 2005;
Macedo et al., 2010).
Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the inuence
of post system and amount of remaining root tissue on the fracture
resistance of endodontically treated teeth. The hypotheses were
that (1) post system inuences on fracture resistance of root-lled
teeth and that (2) 2 mm of thick dentin has the highest fracture
resistance than 1 mm.
2. Materials and methods
Seventy extracted upper canines (gathered following informed consent,
approved by the Commission for Ethics of the University of Passo Fundo,
no. 044/2012) were stored at 37 1C in distilled water and used within 6 months
after extraction. The inclusion criteria were the absence of caries or root cracks and
the absence of previous endodontic treatments, posts, or crowns. Furthermore,
teeth of similar size and shape were selected by root dimensions after measuring
the height and buccolingual and mesiodistal widths in millimeters, allowing a
maximum deviation of 10% from the determined mean.
2.1. Endodontic treatment
Root canals that would receive posts were endodontically treated. All root
canals were prepared by one trained operator. Each tooth was decoronated below
the cementoenamel junction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis using a slow-
speed, water-cooled diamond disc (Isomet 2000; Buehler Ltd., Lake Bluff, IL, USA).
The roots were cut to a uniform length of 15 mm from the apical end. The apexes of
the teeth were sealed with a temporary lling material. Endodontic treatment was
performed following a standardized crown-down technique using rotary NiTi
instruments of the K3 System (Sybron-Endo, Orange County, CA, USA). The apical
foramen was prepared to size 50. The following irrigation regimen was used. Before
a new instrument, the canal was lled with 2% chlorhexidine gel (CHX) (Natufarma,
Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil). After the use of each instrument, 5.0 mL distilled water
was used as an irrigating solution with a 5-mL syringe and a 30-G needle 3 mm
short of the working length. Final irrigation with 2 mL 17% EDTA for 3 min followed
by irrigation with 5 mL distilled water was performed to remove the smear layer.
After that, all canals were dried with sterile paper points to conclude the protocol
(Souza et al., 2012). The root canals were lled with gutta-percha points and
Endoll (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) using the lateral condensation
technique and accessory gutta-percha points. After root canal lling, any excess
gutta-percha and sealer was removed, and coronal portion was sealed. The
specimens were immersed and kept in distilled water at 37 1C for a period of
1 week, corresponding to the root canal sealer setting time.
2.2. Specimens preparation
The teeth were divided into seven groups (n10), including the control group
with sound teeth, which received no treatment (intact teeth), and six experimental
groups dened by the two factors investigated: amount of remaining root tooth
tissue (2 or 1 mm of thick root) and post system (FB, ber post; FPC, ber post
relined with resin composite; CPC, cast NiCr alloy post and core) (Fig. 1).
2.3. Intraradicular preparation
Two thirds of the root canal length was prepared, standardizing the post space
to 9.0 mm and preserving 5.0 mm of root lling at the apex. The root canal sealer
and core materials were removed from the root canals with heated instruments
and using size 3 Largo burs (Dentsply Maillefer) with a low-speed handpiece.
Additionally, the roots in this group were prepared with a spherical diamond bur
(no. 1014; KG Sorensen, Barueri, So Paulo, Brazil) that was initially used at slow-
speed to are the root canal to a depth of 9 mm and another spherical diamond bur
(3017 HL; KG Sorensen) that was used for middle third aring, reaching a depth of
5 mm. Final preparation was performed using size 4 Largo burs to a depth of 9 mm.
With the aid of a thickness meter, constant measurements were made until
dentinal walls with a thickness of 2 mm were obtained in thirty roots. The
thickness of the other thirty roots was 1 mm. CHX was the chemical auxiliary
used with the Largo burs for root canal preparation. Distilled water was the
irrigating solution used to remove CHX and the material originated from the
preparation of the root canal. Diamond bur was used with a slow speed diamond
and under copious distilled water spray.
2.4. Restorative procedures
2.4.1. Fiber post
After preparation, the root canals were cleaned with a 2% chlorhexidine and
dried. The dentin was etched with 37% phosphoric acid, and Adper Scotchbond
Multi-Purpose (3M ESPE, St Paul, MN) was applied according to the manufacturer's
recommendations and light polymerized for 40 s. The berglass posts (Angelus,
Londrina, PR, Brazil) with 1.1 mm of diameter were cleaned with alcohol, and
immediately after applying the adhesive system to the post, it was light polymer-
ized for 20 s on each side.
2.4.2. Fiber post relined with resin composite
Bonding procedures were realized to the root dentin similar to that of the
previous group. Afterward, the canal walls were lubricated with a hydrosoluble gel
(Natrosol; Drogal Pharmacy, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil). The ber post was covered with
Fig. 1. Specimens preparation for all groups dened by two study factors: amount of remaining root tooth tissue (2 or 1 mm of thick root) and post system (FB, ber post;
FPC, ber post relined with resin composite; CPC, cast NiCr alloy post and core). Group 1, root intact; group 2, FB and 2 mm of thick root; group 3, FPC and 2 mm of thick
root; group 4, CPC and 2 mm of thick root; group 5, FB and 1 mm of thick root; group 6, FPC and 1 mm of thick root; and group 7, CPC and 1 mm of thick root.
R.R. Barcellos et al. / Journal of Biomechanics 46 (2013) 25722577 2573
resin composite Z250 (B0.5, Z250, 3M ESPE) and inserted into the canal. After the
removal of the excess resin, the tip of the light-curing unit was placed over the
post, and the device was activated for 20 s. After composite resin polymerization,
the post was clamped with needle-nose pliers and removed from the canal. The
completion of the polymerization of the ber post relining with resin composite
was performed outside the root canal for 40 s.
2.4.3. Cast post and core
Bonding procedures was realized to the root dentin similar to that of the
previous group. Root canal walls were lubricated, and Duralay resin (Reliance
Dental, Worth, IL, USA) was used to obtain molds of the intraradicular retainers by
the direct technique; prefabricated polycarbonate posts (Pin-jet, Angelus) were
used. The coronal portion of the acrylic pattern was 7.0 mm high and 4.0 mm in
diameter (70.2 mm). With the aid of a thickness meter, constant measurements
were made until the size was obtained in each specimen. For this preparation was
used drill FG283 (KG Sorensen). The patterns were invested cast in nickelchrome
alloy (NiCr alloy, Kromalit; Knebel, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil).
2.5. Post luting procedures
After copious rinsing removal of the lubricant gel from the root canal in FPC
and CPC groups, the root canals were dried with absorbent paper points. One drop
of the bond of the Adper Scotchbond Multi-Purpose system was applied onto the
root canal surface, and the excess was removed with absorbent paper points and
light polymerized for 40 s. The dual-polymerizing resin luting material Rely X ARC
(3M ESPE) was mixed and injected into the prepared root canal with an appropriate
Centrix syringe (20 G) (DFL, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil) in all groups. Subsequently,
the intraradicular retainers were covered with cement and seated inside the
root canal and kept under nger pressure for 20 s; the excess cement was then
removed. The posts were cemented in centered position within the root canal. The
cement was light polymerized for 30 s on each surface (ie, buccal, palatal, mesial,
and distal), resulting in a 2-min light polymerization cycle.
2.6. Crown preparation and cyclic loading
To restore the coronal portion in ber post and FPC groups, the incremental
technique was used to place composite resin Z250 (3M ESPE) around the posts
to make lling cores. To standardize the size of the cores, an acetate matrix was
used to position the last layers. The matrix was made in a vacuum plasticizer from a
core model 7 mm high and 4 mm in diameter.
All specimens were nished with a diamond bur (no. 3216) at high speed
with water spray. Specimens were prepared to receive complete crowns with a
reduction of 1.5 mm and ferrule of 2.0 mm. Standardized crowns were obtained for
all teeth and cemented with Rely X ARC. Rectangular-shaped stops with a central
concavity were made on the palatine face of the patterns to locate and stabilize the
metal tip during cyclic loading.
The teeth were embedded in epoxy resin and condensation silicone to simulate
the articial periodontal ligament, up to 2 mm short of the cervical portion, using a
circular metal matrix (25 mm in diameter 20 mm high). The set (tooth, matrix,
and resin) remained immobile for 72 h to ensure resin setting. All specimens were
exposed to 250,000 cycles of mechanical fatigue in a controlled chewing simulator
(ER 11000 Plus, Erios, So Paulo, SP, Brazil). The force was applied 3 mm below the
incisal edge on the palatal surface of the crowns at a frequency of 2.6 Hz. A force of
30 N was chosen. The mechanical loading pattern was equivalent to 1 year of
clinical function (Stegaroiu et al., 1996). The force of 30 N mimicked previously
measured occlusal forces that occur during mastication and swallowing with
restored dentitions (Laurell and Lundgren, 1984).
2.7. Fracture resistance test
Next, the specimens were subjected to a compressive test in a universal testing
machine (Emic DL 2000, So Jos dos Pinhais, Brazil). The position of the specimens
was standardized using a device on the base of the apparatus, and load was applied
at an angle of 1351 in relation to the long axis of the roots (Cecchin et al., 2010;
Carlini-Jnior et al., 2013). An increasing oblique compressive load was applied on
the cingulum of the tooths palatal aspect (3 mm from the incisor edge), using
a cylindrical-shaped device with a round tip (2.7 mm in diameter). A cross-head
speed of 0.5 mm/min was applied until fracture. The maximum failure load was
recorded in Newtons (N).
The root-post fragment set was removed from the acrylic resin after fracture
and observed under a stereoscopic magnifying glass at 20 magnication for
fracture analysis. Moreover, the fractured specimens were sputter coated with gold
in a Denton Vacuum Desk II Sputtering device (Denton Vacuum, Cherry Hill, NJ).
Thus, the fractured specimens were observed by scanning electron microscopy
(JSM-5600LV; JEOL Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) at 18 magnication. The fractures were
Fig. 2. Schematic representation of the fracture mode. (A) type 1, coronal fracture (displacement of the prosthetic set with fracture at the cementation line); (B) type 2,
transverse fracture in the cervical third of the root canal; (C) type 3, transverse fracture in the middle third of the root canal; (D) type 4, transverse fracture in the apical third
of the root canal; and, (E) type 5, vertical root fracture. (A and B) repairable fractures; (C, D and E) irreparable fractures.
R.R. Barcellos et al. / Journal of Biomechanics 46 (2013) 25722577 2574
classied according to location as follows: (1) coronal fracture (displacement of the
prosthetic set with fracture at the cementation line), (2) transverse fracture in the
cervical third of the root canal, (3) transverse fracture in the middle third of the
root canal, (4) transverse fracture in the apical third of the root canal, and
(5) vertical fracture. Furthermore, failures were classied as follows: a repairable
when the fracture line was above the simulated bone level (types 1 and 2), and b
irreparable when the fracture line was below the simulated bone level (types 3, 4,
and 5) (Fig. 2).
Fracture resistance data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, with three posts
systems and three levels of tooth remaining, followed by the Tukeys honestly
signicant difference (HSD) test. For all tests, a statistically signicant difference
was considered when 0.05.
3. Results
The means and standard deviations are presented in Table 1.
The statistical analysis of the data revealed signicant differences
among the groups (Po0.05). Roots restored with FPC had the
highest fracture strength of experimental groups, being statisti-
cally similar to the intact teeth group (P40.05). FP and CPC did
not differ statistically (P40.05) and were statistically lowest than
those of FPC (Po0.05). No statistically signicant difference was
observed between the amount of remaining root tooth tissue (2 or
1 mm of thick root) and the same post systems (P40.05).
Table 2 shows the failure modes observed in each group.
A prevalence of irreparable failures was observed in specimens
restored with CPC, whereas FP and FPC posts showed more
repairable failures (Fig. 2).
4. Discussion
In this study, restoring of teeth with ber post relined with
resin composite presented higher fracture resistance than teeth
restored with cast post and core and berglass posts. Therefore,
the rst hypothesis was supported by the results; the post system
inuenced the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth.
In this group, relining the ber post with resin composite was
realized. Customizing the post increases its adaptation to the root
walls and reduces the thickness of the resin cement (Grandini
et al., 2005). Closer contact between cement type and dentin is
also important to improve the frictional retention of the post
(Goracci et al., 2005). Frictional retention is directly proportional
to the contact area (the larger the contact surfaces, the better the
retention) (Macedo et al., 2010). In addition, a higher post-to-root
canal adaptation increases the sustained pressure during cemen-
tation. The application of sustained pressure results in better
contact between the cement/post assembly and the dentin and
reduces blister formation in the cement (Chief et al., 2007). This
may help explain the high values of fracture resistance in this
group, similar to the control group. According to Macedo et al.
(2010), it seems that the relining procedure increases the ber
post retention by improving the contact between the cement and
the adhesive rather than by reducing the defects observed in thin
cement layers.
However, the nonrelined berglass posts and cast posts had
similar fracture resistance and lowest that the ber post relined
with resin composite. This is probably due to the mismatch
between the diameters of the post space and the ber post
remains. Prefabricated posts do not t well into elliptical-shaped
canals or ared canals that result from carious extension, trauma,
pulpal pathosis, or iatrogenic misadventure (D'Arcangelo et al.,
2007). In such cases, if the post does not t well, the layer of resin
cement might be excessively thick, favoring the formation of air
bubbles and predisposing the post to debonding (Grandini et al.,
2005). Blisters can act as aw-initiating sites during testing,
interfering with the fracture strength. The increase of resin cement
thickness may also increase the polymerization stress because
of the stress development increases associated with increased
volume of the resin cement (Braga et al., 2006). One solution for
this issue is to reline the ber post with resin composite as
demonstrated in this study. On the other hand, the low values of
fracture resistance of the cast posts can be explained by their
mechanical properties. This difference is probably because of the
modulus of elasticity of the posts. Cast metal cores have a high
modulus of elasticity, and when they are subjected to occlusal
forces, they produce forces against the root dentin walls, which
have a lower modulus of elasticity, thus increasing the possibility
of coronal-radicular fracture (Fokkinga et al., 2004; Nakamura
et al., 2006; Zhou and Wang, 2013).
The minimum thickness of root dentine required around a post
is uncertain, and values from 1.0 to 1.75 mm are often suggested
(Lloyd and Palik, 1993). Root canal treatment might result in larger
root canals and thinner surrounding dentine walls (Marchi et al.,
2008). In the present study, standardized canal preparations were
performed to 1- and 2-mm remaining root dentine thickness. The
results of our study showed no signicant difference on fracture
resistance between the amounts of remaining root dentine. There-
fore, the second hypothesis was rejected. These results are not
according to Marchi et al. (2008). According to these authors, the
intact roots had signicantly higher values compared with the
weakened ones. However, in the study of Marchi et al. (2008), the
weakened roots showed thickness of 0.5 mm in the cervical
region. In our study, the less thicker roots had 1 mm.
The distribution of the fracture mode is an extremely important
parameter for comparative analysis between post systems (Fig. 2).
Fiberglass posts relined or nonrelined with composite resin had
signicantly more repairable fractures than cast posts and cores. It
is known that the stress distribution in root-lled tooth restored
with posts is inuenced by the characteristics of the constituent
material of the posts. Coelho et al., 2009 showed the similarity
between the elastic modulus the dentin (1525 GPa), berglass
posts (3040 GPa), and composite resin (20 GPa) (Coelho et al.,
2009). A material with an elastic modulus similar to dentine, such
Table 1
The Mean Fracture Resistance (N) and Standard Deviation (SD) for Each of the
7 Experimental Conditions.
Groups Root condition Post type Mean7SD (N)
Group 1 Intact No 402.25 (106.85)
a
Group 2 2 mm FP 260.23 (69.74)
b
Group 3 2 mm FPC 431.29 (83.07)
a
Group 4 2 mm CPC 241.35 (68.27)
b
Group 5 1 mm FP 263.69 (91.87)
b
Group 6 1 mm FPC 380.97 (75.84)
a
Group 7 1 mm CPC 262.44 (95.17)
b
FB, ber post; FPC, ber post relined with resin composite; CPC, cast post and core.
Means followed by the same letters are not statistically different (ANOVA/Tukey
test, 5%).
Table 2
Failure mode distribution in experimental groups (n10).
Groups Failure mode distribution
Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4 Type 5 Repairable Irreparable
1 5 5 10
2 7 1 1 1 7 3
3 10 10
4 4 1 5 4 6
5 8 2 8 2
6 6 3 1 1 5 4
7 2 8 10
R.R. Barcellos et al. / Journal of Biomechanics 46 (2013) 25722577 2575
as ber posts and composite resin, accompanies the natural
exural movements of the tooth (Lassila et al., 2004; Asmussen
et al., 2005; Nakamura et al., 2006; Santos-Filho et al., 2008). This
property reduces stress concentrations at the interfaces, enabling
the complex restoration to mimic the biomechanical behavior of
sound teeth (Santos-Filho et al., 2008) and minimizing irreparable
fractures (Ferrari et al., 2000; Santos-Filho et al., 2008; Santana
et al., 2011). The group restored with cast post and core showed a
higher number of irreparable failure, particularly where the root
thickness was 1 mm that resulted in irreparable failures in all
samples. Therefore, the conservation of healthy tooth structure is
an important factor in the restoration of endodontically treated
teeth. When a post systemwith a high modulus of elasticity as cast
posts and core (NiCr200 GPa) is loaded (Coelho et al., 2009),
a slowly growing crack causes a successive adhesive failure of the
postcementroot dentin interface. After loss of post adhesion, the
post is more or less mobile within the root and is consequently
allowed to act like a wedge. The energy accumulated in the inner
post is transferred by the dentin causing root fracture (Coelho
et al., 2009; da Silva et al., 2010).
When restoring root-lled teeth, clinicians are opting for
materials that are capable of creating homogenous stress distribu-
tion and are able to decrease the incidence of irreparable root
fractures (Ferrari et al., 2000; Bitter et al., 2009). Therefore, an
important advance in restoring endodontically treated teeth has
been the introduction of ber posts, beside the development
of effective adhesive composite cements (Schwartz and Robbins
2004; Al-Omiri et al., 2010). Furthermore, studies showed that the
ber posts do not need to be inserted to a length equal to or longer
than the depth of the clinical crown to increase the root fracture
resistance. This is advantageous for short roots or for roots
presenting a high degree of curvature. Thereby, a high in-depth
insertion into the root canal is not necessary to improve retention
(Santos-Filho et al., 2008; Cecchin et al., 2010; Borelli et al., 2012;
Ramrez-Sebasti et al., in press). Our study showed that berglass
posts exhibit fracture resistance similar to the cast post and core.
These results are in agreement with previous studies (da Silva
et al., 2010; Santana et al., 2011; Castro et al., 2012). Moreover, the
use of berglass posts relined with composite resin showed the
best results of this study and seemed to be an effective method to
improve fracture resistance and reduce irreparable failures
on endodontically treated teeth. Despite good results with this
retainer intraradical, additional clinical studies are necessary to
determine the best techniques and materials to closely mimic
tooth structures and to recover the mechanical properties and
resistance to fracture of structurally compromised teeth.
5. Conclusion
Roots restored with ber post relined with resin composite had
higher fracture resistance, followed by ber posts and cast post
and core that showed similar values. The mode of fracture was
more restorable with berglass posts and ber post relined with
resin composite; on the other hand, cast post and core showed
more nonrestorable fracture mode. The remaining dentine with
2- or 1-mm thickness was not an important factor for the fracture
resistance in this study; however, for the group with thickness of
1 mm and cast post and core, restoration had resulted in irrepar-
able failures in all the samples.
Acknowledgments
The authors disavow any nancial afliations related to this
study or its sponsors. The study was supported by research grants
from the University of Passo Fundo (PIVIC-UPF) No. 2012/34530.
We are thanking Angelus for the donation of ber post.
Conict of interest statement
The authors had no conict of interesting working on or
writing this article.
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